WV and National Disaster News - March 21, 2024

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WEST VIRGINIA

Spring Fire Season in WV is March 1 and May 31 – KNOW the Guidelines

• Outdoor burning BANNED between the hours of 7am to 5pm
• All fires must have a ring or safety strip at least 10 feet wide, cleared of all debris.  
• Fire must be attended until completely extinguished.
• Only vegetative materials such as leaves, brush and yard clippings are permitted to be burnt
• Fines for forest fires due to negligence range from $100 to $1,000, plus civil penalty of $200.

Learn more at: https://wvforestry.com/fire-laws/  

 
Ambulance Response Time

• WV Governor speaks on ambulance response times following issues in Mingo and Wayne counties  (WOWK-TV) 

• Brush fires: How to prevent them and how they are fought  (WTAP-TV)
• Numerous fires burning in the eastern panhandle  (MetroNews-Radio)
• Multiple brush fires ongoing in Southern W.Va. counties  (WVVA-TV)
• Walker brush fire caused by downed power line  (The Parkersburg News and Sentinel)
• Crews battling a large brush fire in Marshall County  (WTRF-TV)
• Spring bringing elevated brush fire risk  (WSAZ-TV)

Fire Hydrants & Water Lines

• Fire Hydrant Task Force Launched By Public Service Commission  (West Virginia Public Broadcasting-Radio)
• WSAZ hydrant investigation leads to new law (WSAZ-TV)
• Ancient W.Va. Water lines, Worn Out Water Plants Getting Upgrades  (West Virginia Public Broadcasting-Radio)

Public Health

• WV Department of Health Alerts Residents 65 years & older, They are Elible to Receive Additional Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine  (West Virginia Department of Health) 
• W.Va. Department of Health Secretary Names New Leader Over Health Care Agency  (West Virginia Department of Health)

Severe Weather Week in WV

• Learn how to weather the storm during West Virginia Severe Weather Awareness Week  (WTRF-TV) 

Other

• ​14-year-old Calhoun County bus crash survivor requires amputation; community rallies around family  (WCHS-TV)

NATIONAL NEWS

Disaster Recovery

• Biden administration declares disaster in Maine from January storms, unlocking federal aid (Sun Journal)
• FEMA rejects state's appeal for disaster funds for infrastructure damage from flooding (Times Tribune - Pennsylvania) – related news: PAhomepage.com  

• US warns hackers are carrying out attacks on water systems (Reuters) 

• US allergy forecast for 2024 calls for 3 peaks in pollen (AccuWeather)

Weather

• Storms to gather on US East coast with rain, wind, and snow to start weekend (AccuWeather)
• Soggy Saturday: Quick-hitting storm to raise flood risk, disrupt outdoor plans along Northeast coast (AccuWeather)
• 1st weekend of ​spring to feature heavy snowfall in part of Northeast (AccuWeather)​

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